Scottish Community Development Centre You can join their mailing list, access their Health Network and info on resources for community development at their web site. Plus Communities Channel Scotland, which “aims to provide support to local groups and organisations so that they can contribute to a socially and economically sustainable Scotland”.

UK Community Foundations (was Community Foundation Network) provides support and common point of reference for local community foundations throughout the country, and advice for anyone wishing to establish one in a new area. Arena House, 66-68 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9HS, phone 020 7713 9326.

Specialist Communities Bodies

Community Work Education and Training Network (web site disappeared) is/was a Northern Ireland membership body, which promotes good practice in community development through education and training.

Responsible Finance. Was Community Development Finance Association – trade association for community development finance institutions.

Community Ownership Support Service is a Scottish government funded project to help community-based groups in Scotland to take on land or building assets for their community. It also supports local authorities wishing to transfer a building or land asset.

Other Resources

The Can Do Guide provides advice for community groups on such matters as dealing with health and safety and managing money. It is based on the experience of a number of Yorkshire groups who were interviewed about the challenges they faced in getting their ideas off the ground and how they overcame them.

Just Act aims to provide practical advice for anyone wanting to make a difference and improve their community, anything from running a street party to taking over a core community service. Just Act is managed by Community Development Foundation with support from other organisations and the government’s Communities Department.

MyCommunity, launched by Locality in March 2015, helps “communities to take control over their Land & Buildings, Local Services, Neighbourhood Planning and Local Economy through the Community Rights, grants, expert advice and networking”.

Community Tool Box aims to “support your work in promoting community health and development”, but much of what they offer could be equally useful to others involved in community settings. Produced by Work Group for Community Health and Development at the University of Kansas. Sample topics: group facilitation, social marketing, community planning, plus there are some trouble-shooting guides. Not sure the categorisation of material always works, but fairly easy to navigate.

Collective Action Toolkit is “a set of activities and methods to enable groups of people anywhere to organize, collaborate, and create solutions for problems impacting their community”. We haven’t seen the actual material (registration required), but sounds useful. From Frog Design, with support from Nike Foundation, available in English, Chinese and Spanish, with more languages to come.

RunAClub is subscription based, providing support to “set up and manage your own community club or network of clubs”.

Neighbourhood Cinema from British Film Institute supports new and established community cinemas all over the UK.

Village Halls network from SCVO for anyone involved with village halls and community buildings in Scotland.

Guidance

Community Impact Bucks (previously Bucks Community Action) had Village and Community Appraisals pages, now removed? Their definition:

a survey of an area carried out by the people who live or work there.
a way of gathering facts and opinions about the community from local people themselves.
can be conducted in a village, parish or urban community.
involves all local people and which benefits the area.
may identify what needs conserving and what needs improving or changing.

A new website aims to provide practical advice for anyone wanting to make a difference and improve their community, anything from running a street party to taking over a core community service. Just Act is at http://www.justact.org.uk and is managed by Community Development Foundation with support from other organisations and the government’s Communities Department.

The Can Do Guide is a new website at http://www.candoguide.org.uk providing advice for community groups on such matters as dealing with health and safety and managing money. It is based on the experience of a number of Yorkshire groups who were interviewed about the challenges they faced in getting their ideas off the ground and how they overcame them. The full research report will be available in January 2014.

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